Caldwell heads to Cyprus with high hopes after career best finish
Ross McGowan. Picture: Getty Images
Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell topped the putting statistics for the second week running to clinch the best finish and the biggest cheque of his career the Italian Open in Brescia.
Just a week after finishing tied seventh in the Scottish Championship and declaring his next goal was to record his first top-five, the Bangor native (36) achieved precisely that, knocking in a 10 footer for birdie on the 18th to shoot 68 and tie for fifth with the likes of two-time major winner Martin Kaymer on 17-under par.
“I played pretty solid most of the day and got off to a lovely start with a birdie at the first and another at the fourth, made a couple of sloppy bogeys in the middle of my round but came home strong at the end, so very pleasing,” said Caldwell, who finished just three strokes behind England’s Ross McGowan at Chervò Golf Club as Cormac Sharvin’s 75 left him 60th on six-under.
After claiming the first top-10 of his career in the British Masters in July, Caldwell has now added two more in successive weeks and can dare to dream of a maiden win that could catapult him into the top 60 in the Race to Dubai who contest the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
“Overall, I am very pleased with how I played,” added Caldwell, who won €29,257 to move to 105th in the Race to Dubai with earnings this year of €134,479. “We travel tonight to Cyprus so I’m looking forward to that and also some heat for two weeks, and hopefully we can carry some good form.”
McGowan (38) birdied the last from 20 feet to edge out Laurie Canter and Nicolas Colsaerts by a shot on 20-under and end his 11-year wait for his second European Tour win.
Tied for the overnight lead with Canter on 19-under par, his hopes of victory looked slim when he found water at the short 14th.
But he got up and down for bogey, then holed a bunker shot for birdie at the 16th before making that birdie putt at the last for a one-under 71 and a cheque for €160,650.
Canter (30) had a chance from eight feet to force a playoff but missed and signed for a 72 that left him tied for second with Colsaerts, who posted a 68, on 19-under.
"My head is going full blast at the moment,” McGowan said after winning for the first time since the 2009 Madrid Masters. “Obviously I’m very happy, not happy with the way I played particularly but I got the ball in the hole which in the past has been my nemesis, so it was nice to be able to do that this week.
"When I hit the bunker shot on 16, that came exactly how I saw it and it obviously went in and the putter has been good all week, so I felt like if I put it to six or eight foot at 18 I had a good chance of making birdie.
"To be honest, I wasn’t thinking about anything over that putt. I just looked at the hole, it was left edge, and obviously the rest is history.”
He added: “I think I’m going to have to go now and have a nice big glass of red wine and think about what’s next."
McDonald wins maiden title in Greensboro
On the LPGA Tour, American Ally McDonald held off a back nine challenge from compatriot Danielle Kang to win her maiden title in LPGA Drive On Championship - Reynolds Lake Oconee.
She carded a 69 to win by a shot from Kang on 16-under with Stephanie Meadow (28) forced to settle for a share of 34th on three-under as she double-bogeyed her final hole to shoot 70.
Leona Maguire also had an up-and-down week, closing with a 73 to finish tied 69th on four-over at Great Waters Course in Greensboro.
However, she appears to have done enough to make the US Women’s Open as one of the top 10 on the money list not already exempt.
